Like engravings on iPods. It’s a great way to personalize Apple’s popular media player for a friend or loved one. Just in keep in mind that it’s impossible to return an engraved iPod!

Makes sense actually: Except for those who originally bought them, these engraved iPods have virtually no resale value, and Apple definitely can’t provide refurbished units with “WORD 4 LIFE” engraved at the back of them, can they?

Still, this is something to keep in mind dear readers! There’s a reason after all why retailers like Apple provide engraving for free—it frees them from a potentially significant after-sales support option from the get go.

If you’d still like to get an engraved iPod, you can do so through the Apple Store.

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It’s like what JayeCuevas on YouTube said: “hey i have an idea! DON’T TAKE THOSE KIND OF PICS IN THE FIRST PLACE! now there’s a concept”. In any case, even adults need to learn that keeping a record of incriminating pics or text is simply asking for it. It doesn’t help that, with everything connected to the net, what you do foolishly becomes part of the permanent cyberspace history, free for people to check out even years later.

I don’t care if your hot or not. Nudity is best enjoyed up close and personal, free from any recording device. That is, unless you expose your body for a living.

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Visit http://gaigalas.net/lab/googl, type in any URL and press “Shorten” to get your very own goo.gl URL!

Thanks for the tip Andry!

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Consider this your monthly dose of patent trolls (BetaNet LLC in this case) seeking to profit off the hard work of others.

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The process, which predictably violates the nook’s warranty and user agreement, first involves removing the e-reader’s internally stored 2GB microSD card. The next step requires connecting this card to a PC running Linux or Unix, editing an initialization file, and simply replacing the word “disabled” with—you guessed it—”enabled”.

However, that’s not the end of this story. As Top Tech News reports, “Users of the modified device must also find a way to download web-surfing and security Relevant Products/Services software onto the machine, as well as make these applications accessible on the device’s existing user interface.” The full details are available from the NookDevs wiki.

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Here’s the price: $199 unlocked in stores. $100 rebate online if you have an active and old Google account. That $100 rebate is either to buy it $99 online from Google’s online phone store, for using on Android Marketplace or for using on any Google Checkout stores. Can also be used for T-Mobile or AT&T pre-paid Data SIM card service at $29 per month, no contracts required.

From Reuters:

The phone, manufactured by HTC, has a number of code names such as HTC Passion, Dream or Nexus One and could be available directly though the Google website as early as January 5, according to the source.

Nothing’s definite yet. Until we actually see an official announcement from an official Google rep, I won’t bother adding to the rumor pool. What’s clear though is that this development will potentially leave other manufacturers and operators who’ve jumped on the Android OS bandwagon out in the cold. If the $199 unlocked price tag is true, why would you bother locking yourself to a two-year contract then?

I just hope that Google plans to make the Nexus One available worldwide. If they’re really pushing a mobile free from the restrictions of traditional service provider plans or lock-ins, I’d like to see the geography barrier fall as well.

What do you think? Do the rumors above hold any truth? I’m pretty loaded gadget-wise, and won’t spend in that regard for Christmas anyway, so it’s a wait-and-see game for me.

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Nothing makes a community livelier than diversity, and geek circles desperately need a woman’s touch. So how do we get more women drooling over specs and components? Here’s my five-step plan.

Release a Gaming PC With a Twilight Paint Job

Like or not, the Twilight saga is here to stay. And when you have women—including those of substance—involuntarily swooning over Stephanie Meyer’s shallow yet infatuation-inducing prose, you’ve got to use that to your advantage.

Enter the Twilight PC. With a painted Jacob and Ella emblazoned on the side of this powerful yet understated ATX tower, appeal to women is all but ensured. However they acquire one (out of their own funds or that of a loved one’s), you can bet they’ll eventually become curious about what makes it tick, introducing them to the components inside.

Make the Next Sims a Really Demanding Game

Already as a joke, enthusiasts like wondering if that new video card can handle Crysis. To attract the legions of female Sims gamers, the next installment of the Sims series should surpass Crysis’s system requirements. All for the sake of creating the most realistic soap opera simulator of course.

This will force women to become more aware of specs, and the components needed to achieve them. Heck, it will probably force them to determine, on their limited budgets, what’s the best overclocking setup possible. And guess where they’ll turn for advice?

Showcase the Attention Women Geeks Already Enjoy

Make it clear to women that there’s an appreciative audience waiting for them. Show them how the novelty of being female and into gadgets is very intriguing for your (typically) male geek. Just ask Sarah Townsend and, more recently, Adrienne Curry. The pioneer America’s Top Model winner recently posted a picture of herself, apparently playing World of Warcraft in her birthday suit:

Yes, if my five-step plan works, women geeks will become a dime a dozen, no longer able to rely on their gender to stand out. Yet this will allow female enthusiasts to distinguish themselves through real achievements, such as pushing the i7 920 past 4GHz merely on air.

Highlight the Success of Geeks

Face it: free from the superficial pecking order of high school, geeks rule more than jocks. They make more, are happier, and actually change the world. Let’s highlight those realities, and show women everywhere that geekdom is where true success happens. Women today are still attracted to successful men, not necessarily because they want good providers, but simply company who know what they’re talking about and how to get things done.

Yes, we’ve all heard stories about a homeless man wasting away his life playing World of Warcraft while living on welfare checks. So let’s make it clear that those cases are exceptions rather than the rule.

Treat the Losers Like Pariahs

Yes, every community has them, the trolls who like picking fights, to sexually-repressed infantile idiots virtually drooling even at the hint that their new online contact is a girl (even if it hasn’t been conclusively proven yet).

So what do we do with them? Treat them like the losers that they are. Show them that their antics will never get them ahead, and they’ll probably leave for dirtier pastures suitable for their immature outlook. What remains are discussions where approaching women will feel confident that they’re in discussions featuring substance, where their opinions and insights are respected.

What do you think? If you’ve got your own ways to get more women into computer hardware, feel free to share below.

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In any case, three licenses of Office 2007 Home and Student edition are still available at a discount, though at a higher price of $110 (compared to the previous discounted price of $90). That’s a bit below $40 for each license, the only limitation being that the three computers with the Office installation should belong to the same household. The promo ends on December 26, 2009.

Still, the email I received promo this discount was misleading, stating “Office Home and Student 20070—now under $100″. Going to the Microsoft Office retail site however gave me a final price of $109.98. Again, the “optional” $9.99 add-on was automatically applied to the total, with on way to remove it.

What does the additional $9.99 pay for? The actual license to use the software itself, and the ability to re-download the software in case you somehow lose your installer. $19.99 pays for the license, as well as a backup CD shipped to your doorstep (MS apparently only sells Office online to US customers).

So as you can see, the “optional” add-on is useful, but shouldn’t Microsoft come clean with the total price from the get-go?

Buy Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student edition for “below $100″

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Dell

Take note of Dell’s first two promos, which features percentage discounts on popular laptops like the Inspiron Mini 10 and the Studio XPS 13.

	Promo	End Date	Coupon
	Save 20% on all laptops and desktops on landing page, including the Mini 10 netbook with coupon code 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33	1/28/09 11:55 PM CDT	5TK?LC9VJ5F$33
	Save 25% on all laptops and desktops on landing page with coupon code ?$QNC1?HSKNR9F		?$QNC1?HSKNR9F
	Save 45% on 5dot Connect’s Deep Forest Backpack. Only $38.49 after discount.	12/17/09 5:55 AM CDT	None required
	Dec 13 – 15: Dell Home Electronics Super Sale on items that will ship in time for the holidays!	12/15/09 6:59 AM CDT
	Stackable $129 off this Studio 15 laptop with Office Home & Student. Only $649 when you use coupon code VF$1LDWF7N9MMM at checkout.	1/1/10 5:55 AM CDT or after 2,000 redemptions	VF$1LDWF7N9MMM

HP Promos

The good thing with HP’s promos? As you customize the maker’s desktops or laptops before adding them to the cart and checking out for purchase, you save more money as you choose more powerful specs. Use the links below as your starting point to get more for less:

	Promo
	Save up to $605 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!
	Save up to $585 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9250t Series Customizable Desktop PC!
	Save up to $515 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv8t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!
	Save up to $555 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9280t Series Customizable Desktop PC!

All the above HP promos end this December 19, 2009. Good luck shopping!

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There are already various online services that automatically send emails on the behalf of the dearly departed. Yet My Webwill hopes to differentiate itself by asking customers for access to their respective social networking accounts. A Facebook user could have his account deactivated upon his death, for instance.

My Webwill is free, but for advanced features, you’ve got to pay to play. The details:

The basic service is free and includes the deactivation of 10 Internet accounts and the option to send up to five prepared e-mails written by the client. A premium service, costing 199 kronor ($29) a year, or 1,999 kronor for a lifetime subscription, offers more detailed management of social networking profiles as well as unlimited posthumous e-mails and account deactivations.

Personally however, unless I remain a bachelor, I consider My Webwill’s services unnecessary. Why not just share your passwords with a trusted or love one, with the agreement that they never open your personal accounts up until your deaths? The agreement should of course work both ways.

On top of that, wouldn’t the people managing sites like Facebook be willing to deactivate accounts, when politely asked and proof is provided? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Find out more about the company at MyWebwill.com.

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